


Orchard

by Hope



Category: Lord of the Rings - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Femslash, hobbitfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-17
Updated: 2002-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-02 13:31:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hope/pseuds/Hope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For floriatosca. A mathom.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Orchard

**Author's Note:**

> For floriatosca. A mathom.

"It's been nothing but trouble since those Sackville-Bagginses moved in!" Marigold said, raising her voice a little and tilting her head back over her shoulder as she waded through the high, un-scythed grass of the orchard. "More than once a week Master Lotho has been coming down the Hill with some little problem or the other - 'the dipper's dropped in the well' I think it was one time," she bent to pick up a discarded apple or peach, scowling at its rot and discarding it with a flick of her wrist. "And we had to send up our Hal - and it was lucky that he was home from North Farthing, what with the Gaffer complaining of his arthritis again - and he didn't come back for half the afternoon! Oh yes, it was the dipper at first - but that was a simple enough matter, drawing it up by its rope, but then it was 'these bushes need trimming' and 'we'd rather if the bench was under this tree here'. I spent most of the night kneading the knots out of poor Hal's back!"

Marigold snorted and shook her head, examining another pitifully small apple carefully before dropping it in the basket she had slung over her arm. "I don't think they'll ever forgive Mr Baggins for not leaving a gardener with the garden." She almost said to Rosie, leaning in closer and lowering her voice then frowning and striding forward. Rosie hitched up her skirts and attempted to catch up again. "And I don't know if I'm likely to forgive him myself, what with the way they expect the _Gaffer_ to replace our Sam and all!"

"Sam will put things to rights again when he comes back," Rose said as they climbed a small hillock, a lone gnarled apple tree clinging to the summit.

Marigold scowled again, dropping the basket with a little more force than was necessary before throwing herself down in the grass. "Sam ain't _coming_ back," she said harshly, rolling over to her front and burying her face in her arms.

Rosie lowered herself a little more carefully, lying on her side and propping head up with her elbow. Absently she dug one an apple from her nearly-empty basket and sunk her teeth into it. "Of course he is."

Marigold's face remained buried in her arms, her voice muffled and slightly quavery. "He _ain't_."

Rosie reached out and softly tucked some stray, sun-blonde hair behind Marigold's ear, tracing the line of it carefully and stroking her cheek. Marigold sniffed loudly, more of a proud 'don't stop' than a scornful sound, and Rosie sighed, wriggling closer to trace her fingers comfortingly over Marigold's cheekbone. Marigold turned her head to face Rosie, eyes still closed, and Rose smiled, leaning down to brush her lips against Marigold's cheek, then her mouth.

Marigold drew back a little, opening her eyes to frown. "What?" Rosie asked, sliding her hands up to weave her fingers into the hair above Marigold's ear. "Don't you want any children?"

Marigold snorted. "Rosie Cotton, you know as well as I do that two lasses can't get any children."

"Good," Rosie murmured, leaning in close again. "Then there's no harm in practicing."

Marigold drew back again, Rosie's lips having lingered longer this time, and blinked a little blearily. "Practice!" she scorned half-heartedly.

"Yes," Rosie whispered, her lips slipping to the corner of Marigold's mouth and down her chin, across her jaw. "While our lads are away having adventures."

Marigold snorted again, but tilted her head back to allow Rosie better access to her throat. "While _your_ lad is away."

Rosie drew back again, ready to retort, then laughed as Marigold reached up and threaded fingers at the back of her neck, drawing her head down for another kiss, open mouthed this time.

"Mmph," Marigold murmured breathlessly into the apple-taste of Rosie's mouth, rolling over onto her back to allow wandering hands access to her bodice laces. "'Spose it can't do any harm . . ."

**Author's Note:**

> http://hopeful-fiction.livejournal.com/8402.html


End file.
